Residents, visitors and vendors gathered in downtown Durham Sept. 19 and 20 for the annual CenterFest celebration of the arts. It is events like this, vendors said, that help keep Durham’s art scene alive.

CenterFest has been an autumn staple since 1974, highlighting local and visiting artists who bring a variety of artwork. Booths were set up in rows alongside the streets of downtown, displaying crafts ranging from ceramics and photography to woodwork and more.

The Durham Arts Council supports the event each year and introduced a new “We the People” initiative. This program, created in tandem with Duke Arts, is designed to uplift the diverse voices that make Durham special. The initiative featured a stage for live music and a collaboration with local businesses for a partnership called “Sips and Snacks.”  ​

Katie Wyatt, executive director of the Durham Arts Council, said this year’s festival focused on building connections and expanding the range of artists and performers represented.

“I helped really lead a team of incredible people who made CenterFest happen,” Wyatt said. “I like to say I actually had very little to do with CenterFest myself, because we just have so many incredible people working on the project.”

This is Wyatt’s second year leading CenterFest, and she said she was especially excited about the festival’s new partnerships and artists. According to Wyatt, a panel selects the artists and performers who participate in CenterFest each year.

Among those selected was local potter Jenna Leitner, who was accepted to sell her work at CenterFest this year after applying five times. Leitner began creating pottery when she was 16 and has been doing so full time for ten years. She said she relies on art festivals to make a living. 

“Without festivals, I probably would’ve had to lean more on selling online, but I really like talking to people face-to-face and being a part of the community,” Leitner said.

Leitner said Durham has an amazing art community and looks forward to future festivals.

“It’s been a great turnout,” she said. “If they invited me, I would be here every year.”

Watercolor artist Jessica Robin said the application process was straightforward. This year’s booth fee ranged from $330 to $630, with additional fees depending on booth location, according to CenterFest’s website.​

Robin illustrates children’s books and is currently working on a book of her own. However, she said her experience at the festival was different this year.

​“Last year it was fantastic, but this year we’re probably doing like a quarter of last year,” Robin said.

Robin said she was surprised by the low amount of sales because she thought the cloudy weather was favorable compared to the intense heat from last year.

​Other artists said they had positive experiences at the festival.

Brian Robinson, an artist from Durham, has participated in CenterFest on and off for about five years and said he has felt supported by the community.

“They’ve shown love,” Robinson said. “They’ve really come out and shown love.”

While CenterFest was a first-time experience for some, other attendees have been returning to the festival for decades. Durham resident Lois Pradka has attended CenterFest since its first year and said she enjoys the variety of artwork on display.

“I’ve loved being able to see all the new artwork,” Pradka said. “I like having things on just one side of the street, so it’s not so crowded, and you can pay more attention and see more stuff.”

For Pradka, the festival also signals the changing seasons.​

“To me, it’s kind of the beginning of fall,” Pradka said. “The summer’s too hot.”

She sat outside on a park bench catching up with an old friend, Sarah Broz. They hugged before Pradka said, “And we bump into friends.”

​Broz smiled before adding, “Durham is like that.”

That sense of community and local support is what Wyatt said she hoped people would take away from the festival. For artists, the support and face-to-face interaction can help them continue their work while building connections with buyers.

As community members browsed booths, pausing to pick up a handmade pot or a custom lamp, CenterFest continued a tradition that longtime visitors have returned to for years. ​For one weekend, the festival transformed downtown Durham from streets usually filled with traffic into a place for people looking to discover something a little different. 

“I hope they will have heard performers that they had not heard before,” Wyatt said. “I hope they will see the power of the arts in the community.”

Edited by: Erin Mun and Mollie Ray. View more CenterFest photos on our Instagram @durhamvoicenc.